Indian Railways achieved 6.14% year-on-year growth in freight loading during September 2026, transporting 135.5 million tonnes of goods. According to the Railway Board's latest press note, this performance demonstrates the national transporter's continued strength in moving bulk commodities across the country. The growth was supported by strong demand across multiple commodity segments, with several major categories recording double-digit increases. The September loading of 135.5 million tonnes compared favorably with 127.52 million tonnes transported in September 2025, reflecting the railways' enhanced operational efficiency and sustained growth momentum.
Coal loading, which is predominantly carried by rail and has been at the centre of power plant shortage debates, grew by 9% in September compared with the same period last year. As reported by the Railway Board, Indian Railways significantly increased domestic coal supply to power houses during September 2026. The average number of coal rakes supplied per day increased to 443 rakes, compared with 397 rakes per day in September 2025, registering 11.6% growth. This enhanced coal transportation capacity supports fuel requirements for power generation across the country, highlighting the railways' efforts to step up domestic coal supply to power houses during the month.
Several major commodity segments recorded strong growth during September 2026, according to the Railway Board's statement. Food grain loading grew by 25%, clinker by 20%, domestic container by 10%, coal by 9%, balance other goods by 8.2%, mineral oil by 6%, finished steel by 5.5%, and iron ore by 5.2%. These diverse growth rates across different commodity categories indicate robust demand across various sectors, with food grains leading the performance among major categories. The strong showing across industrial and agricultural segments demonstrates the railways' ability to handle diverse freight requirements effectively, with the Railway Board noting continued growth in freight and passenger segments during September 2026.
Freight revenue in September 2026 increased by ₹1,266 crore over September 2025, registering growth of 9.3%. As reported by the Railway Board, the national transporter's freight revenue growth was close to double digits in percentage terms. The Railways has set ambitious targets, intending to increase freight volumes to 3,000 mt by 2031 and expects to end the financial year at around 1,750 mt. The September revenue growth, combined with the ₹1,266 crore increase, reflects the railways' improved operational efficiency and pricing strategies, with the Railway Board highlighting the sustained growth in freight and passenger segments during the month.
Indian Railways announced 3,548 graduate-level vacancies under the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC–Graduate) recruitment through Centralised Employment Notification No. 06/2026 issued by the Railway Recruitment Boards. This recruitment offers eligible graduates an opportunity to pursue a career in one of the country's largest public service organisations. Across the first two quarters of 2026-27, the Railways loaded 833.7 mt of freight, registering growth of 4.1% over the corresponding period last year. According to the Railway Board, freight revenue during the same period grew by 3.7%, demonstrating consistent performance across the first half of the financial year. The cumulative freight loading of 833.7 million tonnes between April and September 2026, compared with the corresponding period last year, indicates sustained growth momentum, though the Railway Board did not provide comparative data on passenger traffic for September 2026.
